Students share AP exam strategies and reflections
‘Tis the season of AP Exams, and all through the Wolves’ Den, not a student wasn’t stressing, finding their lives so distressing.
During the second and third weeks of May, students are focused on studying and adequately preparing for their AP exams, aimed towards determining proficiency in skills they gained throughout the school year.
Run by the College Board, these AP Exams last from anywhere between two to three hours. Here’s what students have to say.
Monday 5/5
AP Biology with Ms. Shim
Junior Kaitlyn Milian
Did you start studying before the exam… or the night before the exam?
I started studying a month before the exam and throughout the night and morning before the exam.
What’s the first thing you did after finishing the test?
After finishing the test I went back to Ms. Shim’s room and grabbed some snacks, went to my 4th period and played card games with my friend who also took the AP exam.
If your AP exam were a villain, what would its name be and what evil power would it have?
Honestly, I can’t see the AP exam as a villain.
If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice before the AP exam, what would it be?
One piece of advice I could give myself before the AP exam, specifically when starting the class is to pay attention. In complete honesty, my biggest mistake was not trying harder, specifically the first semester when I didn’t take the class seriously.
What’s one thing you’re proud of from your AP exam experience?
One thing I’m proud of from my AP exam experience is the fact that I tried my best. While I’m not entirely confident I got a perfect score, I know I did the best I could.
Tuesday 5/6
AP Chemistry with Ms. Kim
Junior Kyla Manansala
Did you start studying before the exam… or the night before the exam?
I started studying two weeks prior to the exam.
What’s the first thing you did after finishing the test?
After finishing the exam, I took a four hour nap.
If your AP exam were a villain, what would its name be and what evil power would it have?
If my AP Exam were a villain, its name would be The Catalyst. Its power would be speeding everything up except your understanding.
If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice before the AP exam, what would it be?
One piece of advice before entering the exam is to remember unit conversions and to start studying a month prior.
What’s one thing you’re proud of from your AP exam experience?
One thing I’m proud of after taking the exam is knowing that I am capable of putting in the effort and taking time out of my day to study.
AP Government and Politics with Mr. Docter
Senior Elijah Loox
Did you start studying before the exam… or the night before the exam?
I started studying the night before. I crammed but it was worth it.
What’s the first thing you did after finishing the test?
The first thing I did after finishing the test was give an applause with everyone.
If your AP exam were a villain, what would its name be and what evil power would it have?
If my AP exam were a villain it would be named The Time Dictator’ and its power would be to make students procrastinate.
If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice before the AP exam, what would it be?
One piece of advice I would give myself before the exam is to be calm and trust in your knowledge.
What’s one thing you’re proud of from your AP exam experience?
One thing I am proud of from my AP exam experience is the friends I made along the way.
Wednesday 5/7
AP Literature and Composition with Mr. May
Senior Joshua Choondakaran
Did you start studying before the exam… or the night before the exam?
I started studying the night before and morning of the exam.
What’s the first thing you did after finishing the test?
I went straight to Mr. May’s class to check in with him.
If your AP exam were a villain, what would its name be and what evil power would it have?
That’s clearly dislitisia with the power of sleep inducement.
If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice before the AP exam, what would it be?
Don’t mix and match energy drinks, always bet on talking guitars and be okay with repeating literary techniques.
What’s one thing you’re proud of from your AP exam experience?
I’m proud I managed to write a whole essay on a book I never read and to be part of Mr May’s last class.
AP Computer Science A with Mr. Manzano
Senior Pragyanjyoti Dash
Did you start studying before the exam… or the night before the exam?
I started studying for our class final, which was April 30th, a week before, but specifically practice for the AP exam I started on Sunday May 4th, since the exam was on Wednesday.
What’s the first thing you did after finishing the test?
I called my mom and gave her an update because she’s my support system whether I do bad or good on the exam.
If your AP exam were a villain, what would its name be and what evil power would it have?
If the AP exam were a villain it would be named RecurBat and its evil power would be the ability to warp time and twisting brains.
If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice before the AP exam, what would it be?
I believe I did most of the practice problems and Frq’s open by College Board, but additionally I would’ve told myself to be more patient with the questions. I wish I could’ve taken a mock exam (mcq and frq).
What’s one thing you’re proud of from your AP exam experience?
I’m proud that I started studying earlier for this exam and not leaving it until the night before or the day off. I did not cram this year for any of my APs, especially CSA.
Thursday 5/8
AP African American Studies with Ms. Doshi
Junior Ami Singer
Did you start studying before the exam… or the night before the exam?
I started studying about two or three weeks before the exam, but I think my total amount of studying was about a combined 10-14 days.
What’s the first thing you did after finishing the test?
I finished the exam about 35 minutes early and was incredibly bored, so I started writing out the lyrics to Let It Go in cursive. I think I got to the end of the second chorus before the exam actually ended.
If your AP exam were a villain, what would its name be and what evil power would it have?
His name would be Prodge (short for project) and his evil power would be making students question the validity of their research project topics in the week before their formal presentation. He actually already exists, I just gave him a name.
If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice before the AP exam, what would it be?
I would definitely tell myself to relax because I was totally freaking out for days before the exam, but when I started the test I realized that there wasn’t really anything I didn’t know.
What’s one thing you’re proud of from your AP exam experience?
One thing that I’m proud of is that I was able to become so comfortable with all of the course material with pretty much zero review materials/videos. Because the class is so new, the big test prep companies like Barron’s and Princeton Review haven’t released resources, so students and teachers had to put in quite a bit more effort to study.
AP Statistics
Senior Ryan Kumar
Did you start studying before the exam… or the night before the exam?
I did not study at all.
What’s the first thing you did after finishing the test?
After finishing the test I went straight to McDonalds.
If your AP exam were a villain, what would its name be and what evil power would it have?
If my AP exam were a villain it would be called The Outlier. The Outlier and Dr. Standard Devious; their powers are making you confused and clueless on how to go about them.
If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice before the AP exam, what would it be?
Pay attention in class and try not to miss class so often (it wasn’t my fault I had soccer games, track meets and volleyball games).
What’s one thing you’re proud of from your AP exam experience?
I’m proud that I was able to get through it at least and I’m proud that I was able to understand the frq’s.
AP World History: Modern with Mr. Rupert
Sophomore Cate Gragnani
Did you start studying before the exam… or the night before the exam?
I started studying Tuesday night and the exam was Thursday afternoon. I was studying fully for AP Chemistry before Tuesday.
What’s the first thing you did after finishing the test?
The first thing I did after finishing the test was debrief with all of my friends. We all discussed which questions we chose to answer and what we wrote. We compared responses to the same questions and everything.
If your AP exam were a villain, what would its name be and what evil power would it have?
Its name would be ‘The Mongols’ and its power would be mind erasing because I forgot all of the answers the second I read the prompts.
If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice before the AP exam, what would it be?
If I could give myself one piece of advice it would be JESUS CATE STUDY. JUST WATCH HEIMLER UNIT LESSONS AND TAKE NOTES. I would’ve been much more comfortable writing and answering if I had a better understanding of the details and how everything connects, so if I’d studied earlier I could have gone over that stuff.
What’s one thing you’re proud of from your AP exam experience?
I’m proud that I took the test. I was originally supposed to switch out of the class and I was unable to. I’ve really struggled learning all of the material and understanding how everything connects, so I’m proud that I didn’t opt out and I tried anyway.
Friday 5/9
AP United States History with Mr. Ferrin
Junior Diego Serrano
Did you start studying before the exam… or the night before the exam?
I did study a little before the exam but it was really the review by Mr. Ferrin that helped a ton. I did massive studying on Wednesday, two days before the exam and did multiple mock exams that day, so kind of last minute, but all felt good since I had great prep by Ferrin.
What’s the first thing you did after finishing the test?
I went outside, got food, and played volleyball. I mean I was just so happy to be done. I needed a change of scenery and had fun with my friends for a bit, before studying for my back to back to back tests next week.
If your AP exam were a villain, what would its name be and what evil power would it have?
It would be called Complexity and its power would be seeing into the future (change over time) since APUSH is really into both and loves to torment us on them.
If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice before the AP exam, what would it be?
I would say do some more in depth studying on the changes over time and causes because I knew all of the direct facts but it would take time to connect them when taking the test and if I had known with more certainty how they were linked, it would have saved time.
What’s one thing you’re proud of from your AP exam experience?
Finishing. The relief of it being over and all of my prep building up to this point and being able to be fruitful.
AP Macroeconomics with Mr. Weber
Senior Srisenthil Kumar
Did you start studying before the exam… or the night before the exam?
I reviewed the material the day before the exam and a little bit in the morning because it was a 12pm test.
What’s the first thing you did after finishing the test?
I started playing basketball with my friends.
If your AP exam were a villain, what would its name be and what evil power would it have?
“Point C” (Impossible on PPC graph). Its evil power would be giving hope to people who have given up and then depriving them of the fantasy it fed them.
If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice before the AP exam, what would it be?
I would tell myself to study earlier and not procrastinate studying so that I feel less pressure the day or weekend before.
What’s one thing you’re proud of from your AP exam experience?
I’m proud of knowing that I passed the exam.
Monday 5/12
AP Calculus AB with Ms. Saakyan
Shayir Blanco
Did you start studying before the exam… or the night before the exam?
I started studying two days before the exam.
What’s the first thing you did after finishing the test?
After finishing my test I went to get a bagel and then I took a nap.
If your AP exam were a villain, what would its name be and what evil power would it have?
If the exam was a villain it would probably be General Grievous because of the 4 sections. Also, the fact that the test has a legacy of being difficult but at the same time some parts weren’t that difficult. Its power would be Illusion because it looked easy but then it got hard.
If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice before the AP exam, what would it be?
If i could go back in time, I would say to study Unit 8 much more and cover Frqs more.
What’s one thing you’re proud of from your AP exam experience?
I’m proud that I completed the AP Exam.
AP Calculus BC with Mr. Margolin
Senior Loc Handke
Did you start studying before the exam… or the night before the exam?
I started studying before the exam and the night before. I started studying around the week before since we had already been reviewing in the class, just to memorize a few series and things we needed. The night before I just went over past tests and packets on things I got wrong.
What’s the first thing you did after finishing the test?
The first thing I did after the test was go to Mr. Margolin to get my stuff and pick up a bagel!
If your AP exam were a villain, what would its name be and what evil power would it have?
If it was a villain, I would name it Insomnia since we never get to sleep because we’re studying all the time. It’s evil power would be keeping people from sleeping and draining their energy.
If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice before the AP exam, what would it be?
To sleep early! I stayed up studying and was tired for most of the test.
What’s one thing you’re proud of from your AP exam experience?
I am proud of how I did in the class! Mr Margolin is a great teacher so I’m glad I paid attention.
AP Seminar with Mr. Simbulan
Sophomore Olivia Klipstine
Did you start studying before the exam… or the night before the exam?
I started studying a week before the exam, but only because our teacher had us do it in class (no studying on my own).
What’s the first thing you did after finishing the test?
The first thing I did after finishing the test was overthink all of my answers.
If your AP exam were a villain, what would its name be and what evil power would it have?
If my AP exam was a villain, its name would be Nuclear Nicholas and it would have the power to drain people’s souls.
If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice before the AP exam, what would it be?
My one piece of advice would be to not overthink anything, you’ve got this.
What’s one thing you’re proud of from your AP exam experience?
I’m proud of my work ethic, since there were no breaks on this test.
Tuesday 5/13
AP Environmental Science with Mrs. Kim
Senior Reynold Finnegan
Did you start studying before the exam… or the night before the exam?
I studied the night before the exam due to prior AP tests.
What’s the first thing you did after finishing the test?
Went with my friends to High on Thai to celebrate our last AP test.
If your AP exam were a villain, what would its name be and what evil power would it have?
The Phosphator and its super power would be inquiring about the phosphate cycle.
If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice before the AP exam, what would it be?
Take better notes so reviewing later on would be easier.
What’s one thing you’re proud of from your AP exam experience?
All the knowledge I acquired just to forget it the next day.
Wednesday 5/14
AP English Language and Composition with Mr. Chase
Junior Daniel Vishnevsky
Did you start studying before the exam… or the night before the exam?
I didn’t study. I just rawdogged it.
What’s the first thing you did after finishing the test?
I went outside and I screamed.
If your AP exam were a villain, what would its name be and what evil power would it have?
It would be “Rhetorical Monkey” and it would have no powers because the test was too easy.
If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice before the AP exam, what would it be?
Bring more water because I was thirsty during the test.
What’s one thing you’re proud of from your AP exam experience?
I’m proud that I finished the test.
Thursday 5/15
AP Art History with Mr. Mitchell
Senior Renisha Patel
Did you start studying before the exam… or the night before the exam?
I started studying the night before.
What’s the first thing you did after finishing the test?
After finishing my test, I just relaxed.
If your AP exam were a villain, what would its name be and what evil power would it have?
If my AP exam were a villain its name would be Dr. Forget and its power would be making me forget everything I studied.
If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice before the AP exam, what would it be?
I would tell myself to relax and don’t stress too much over the exam.
What’s one thing you’re proud of from your AP exam experience?
I am proud that I’ve completed 18 APs and that I’m finally done.
AP Spanish Language and Culture with Mrs. Garcia
Junior Dayami Alonso
Did you start studying before the exam… or the night before the exam?
I had started studying at home a week prior to exam while Mrs.Garcia had us studying everyday in her class for the past 3 weeks.
What’s the first thing you did after finishing the test?
The first thing I did after finishing the exam was head to Mrs. Garcia’s class to collect my things and review my notes to see if I had made any mistakes during the exam.
If your AP exam were a villain, what would its name be and what evil power would it have?
I would call the exam the timer or in Spanish, El Cronometro, and it would have the power to speed up time because during all the writing parts it felt like i had no time to write.
If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice before the AP exam, what would it be?
If I could go back in time and give myself some advice I would recommend studying more transition words as well as take more time to practice my cultural comparison techniques.
What’s one thing you’re proud of from your AP exam experience?
I’m proud of the way I was able to manage my time when it came to my argumentative essay and email.
AP Computer Science Principles with Ms. Labinger
Senior Caden Evans
Did you start studying before the exam… or the night before the exam?
While I did do a decent amount of cramming before the night before the exam, I had done quite a bit of work previous to that.
What’s the first thing you did after finishing the test?
Go home. It was an afternoon exam.
If your AP exam were a villain, what would its name be and what evil power would it have?
Professor Elektris, with the power to manipulate electronics.
If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice before the AP exam, what would it be?
You should’ve brought food because you forgot how long AP exams actually feel.
What’s one thing you’re proud of from your AP exam experience?
Knowing that I have the ability to put the effort in necessary to prepare myself and feel confident that I can achieve the score I desire
Friday 5/16
AP Physics 1: Algebra Based
Senior Ron Mechery
Did you start studying before the exam… or the night before the exam?
I started studying the night before.
What’s the first thing you did after finishing the test?
The first thing I did after finishing the test was play video games.
If your AP exam were a villain, what would its name be and what evil power would it have?
Issac Newton and he came back from the dead with the ability to manipulate the different forces (i.e. gravity, normal, friction, buoyant, and etc.)
If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice before the AP exam, what would it be?
If I could go back in time and give myself one piece of advice for the test, it would be to review the FRQ section, especially the experimental design question.
What’s one thing you’re proud of from your AP exam experience?
I am proud of how well I think I did on the multiple choice section.
AP Psychology with Mr. Mitchell
Senior Kerra Bae
Did you start studying before the exam… or the night before the exam?
I started studying the night before.
What’s the first thing you did after finishing the test?
I ate dinner and watched Reply 1988.
If your AP exam were a villain, what would its name be and what evil power would it have?
The Freudian Fiend and its evil power would be assigning 50 question long review quizzes.
If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice before the AP exam, what would it be?
I would practice the AAQ and EBQs a little bit more.
What’s one thing you’re proud of from your AP exam experience?
I’m proud of actually trying on APs even if they don’t matter that much as a senior.
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